“Where do artists get their ideas? ‘What’s their secret?’ Well, here it is:
“Artists don’t wait for inspiration, they steal it.” But not in the way you think.
What separates an ordinary person from an Artist is just ONE THING. An Artist knows What’s worth “stealing”. Attention is the New currency of our generation. What you “PAY” attention to is what you become.
David Bowie said it best… ‘The only art I’ll ever study is stuff I can steal from.’
“The World Is Up For Grabs”
Look around. Everything is up for grabs. The colour of that sunset? Steal it. That quote you read online. Steal it. Had an interesting conversation? Steal that too.
As an artist, you’re always on the lookout. An Artist filters the world through their unique lens—through the lens of curiosity, asking himself, “Is this worth stealing?”, if yes, then he just STEALS it and moves on. If not, he simply moves on. The outcome is the same.
If you start seeing the world this way, you’ll never run out of ideas. But remember—stealing isn’t copying. When I say “Steal” it means learning and remixing, not plagiarizing. It’s about turning it into something NEW. Something YOU.
When stealing, it’s not about ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ It’s about what resonates with you. Some days, you’ll find something worth stealing; but tomorrow? You might not.
Every art you see is an improved or remixed version of what came before. You’re not just copying—you’re remixing and transforming.
So, How YOU Can See The World As An Artist?
So, how do you start? Simple. Keep your eyes open, and always have a way to capture what you find—a notebook, your phone, whatever works.
It’s ARTIST RPG time! So, let’s get to your first creative quest. ‘Steal’ 5 things today. Whether it’s the way the sun hits a building, a line from a song, or the colors of a coffee shop.
Whatever catches your eye—capture it, collect it, and share what you discover.
Start small. You don’t need to find the next Mona Lisa—just something that speaks to you. And if you’re up for it, share one of your stolen inspirations in the comments below. Let’s see what caught your eye!
Now that you’ve started stealing, let’s make sure it’s worth it. Join me in the next post in which we’ll talk about HOW TO CONVERT EVERYTHING YOU COLLECTED into YOUR art
Don’t forget to comment and share this post with your artist friends!
